Weeks before the Lok Sabha elections, finance minister P Chidambaram reached out to a wide swathe of voters —youth, minorities, Dalits, tribals, women, farmers and the middle class — who had formed the core support base of the Congress-led UPA in the 2004 and 2009 general elections.

The Sachar panel, set up by PM Manmohan Singh to probe disadvantages faced by Muslims, had pointed out in its report that a vast majority of Muslims were self-employed and that access to credit at reasonable rates was a major factor holding back their businesses.

The government has set a target of Rs 36,925 crore that it expects to earn by selling equity in state-owned companies in 2014-15 even as it halved target by more than half to Rs 16,027 crore for the current financial year.

Two of India’s biggest tax reform initiatives — the Direct Taxes Code and the Goods and Services Tax — will have to wait until a new Lok Sabha and a new government is in place, thereby slowing down efforts made over the years on consensus-building to modernise the country’s tax laws.

India’s food output is growing twice as fast as its population, and has joined a small club of nations to do so, FM P Chidambaram said on Monday, underlining a triumph on a key front from the UPA government ready to fight polls amid a welter of political charges and corruption scandals.

Grabbing his last chance to please voters before the general elections, P Chidambaram on Monday cut excise duties on a range of consumer goods and cars, deft tweaks that could lift consumption and boost industry but leave his successor with plenty of headaches. Full Coverage: Interim budget 2014 | Mood in Parliament

For the first time in the last few days, a minister's speech did not get drowned in opposition-sponsored disturbances. It was also the first time in the recent past that no visitors were allowed to sit in the Lok Sabha galleries to witness the presentation of a budget.

Finance minister P Chidambaram presented the 2014 interim budget on Monday. He tried to win over key sections of the country with his budget. These announcements are expected to leave many smiling.Full Coverage: Interim budget 2014

Prices of automobiles, including cars, sports utility vehicles and two-wheelers, are set to come down with P Chidambaram on Monday announcing a reduction in excise duty in the interim budget. Full Coverage: Interim budget 2014 | Poll: FM says UPA govt's record in growth is unparalleled. Do you agree? | Chidambaram's full speech | Key features of interim budget